


(you’re saying) love’s a game

by jjokkiri



Series: #kihobingo 2017 [3]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Awkward Flirting, Fluff, KiHo Bingo, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjokkiri/pseuds/jjokkiri
Summary: A year and a half into co-hosting a dating show with Shin Hoseok, Yoo Kihyun hates himself for the sole fact that the point of hosting a dating show iscertainly notfalling in love with your co-host.





	(you’re saying) love’s a game

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the _TV Show of Choice_ square of [#kihobingo](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/kihobingo). And it may be extremely vague as to how this fills the prompt, but the show chosen was the Vietnamese dating program _Bạn Muốn Hẹn Hò?_ , which is the the basis of the show that Hoseok and Kihyun host.

When he let himself into his best friend’s apartment without a warning—using the spare key that his best friend didn’t know he had—and flopped onto the younger man’s bed (which was so very conveniently placed in the middle of the studio apartment), Yoo Kihyun was certain that Chae Hyungwon didn’t expect the first words to leave his mouth to be _“save me”_. And clearly, from the confused expression on Hyungwon’s face, as a pair of chopsticks hung from between his lips mid-bite from his ramen, proved Kihyun’s thoughts accurate.

There was a silence as Hyungwon stared at him—Kihyun’s face buried into Hyungwon’s pillows, as he hugged one of the plush toys laying on the bed, which Hyungwon _definitely_ didn’t grant him the permission to touch. He, the tall model, raised an eyebrow before slowly pulling the chopsticks from his mouth, as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing, and cleared his throat.

“What the hell are you doing?”

And Kihyun, in all of his maturity as a twenty-seven year old man, whined at his best friend with a frown on his lips. “What do you mean what the hell am I doing? I asked you to save me and this is how you treat me? I left poor Kahlua at home all alone, just to ask you for your help and you treat me like this? Chae Hyungwon, are you even human?”

Hyungwon stared at him, withering, before deciding that Kihyun was serious. Kihyun was always serious when he mentioned Kahlua, the gorgeous white furred kitten his roommate, Lee Minhyuk, had adopted. He heaved a sigh, before placing his chopsticks down and silently apologizing to his bowl of ramen—it would have to wait. _Apparently, best friends were more important than curing hunger._

“Sorry, I meant: _Kihyunnie, what’s wrong?_ ” he corrected himself in a sickeningly sweet voice. Kihyun pouted at him, childishly, disappointed at the use of sarcasm that he should have expected.

“You’re supposed to be _genuinely_ concerned for me,” Kihyun told him. Hyungwon rolled his eyes.

“I’m not the actor, remember? Take it or leave it.”

Kihyun was the actor. Or at least, he _was_. He hadn’t picked up an acting role in years. He’d grown up as a child actor and his career had taken a turn towards more of a television personality, who hosted shows and often guested on other variety shows. Hyungwon was the model, whom he’d met during the filming of a variety show they were guesting on together. He was anything but an actor, and Kihyun knew it well. Nothing stopped him from complaining about Hyungwon’s poor acting skills whenever it came to him, though.

“I only kind of hate you, right now. I only don’t hate you because I need you, and you know that, which is why you’re always bullying me.” Kihyun said. Hyungwon rolled his eyes, again. It seemed every moment he spent with Kihyun was a chance to risk disconnecting something in the back of his eyeballs and having them roll out, from how often he felt the burning need to roll his eyes at Yoo Kihyun. Though, he supposed it was the price to pay for having an actor (whether current or not) as a best friend.

“Okay there, drama queen. What stupid things have you done for you to need to barge into my apartment and ask for my saving of you?” Hyungwon asked, eyebrow never falling from where it was arched in curiosity. The model, with a heavy sigh, took pity on his best friend, moving from his spot on the sofa to sit on the bed next to Kihyun’s sprawled figure, abandoning his meal for the sake of the smaller brunet.

 _“Hyungwon-ah,”_ Kihyun whined, moving and leaning against Hyungwon; he manages to slide his head into the younger man’s lap.

Awkwardly, Hyungwon pat Kihyun’s hair with his hand, unsure of what to do with the sudden intrusion of personal space and a lapful of Yoo Kihyun. “I don’t even know what the problem is, yet but, you know, as your best friend, I think I have to tell you: I’ve never met someone quite as dumb as you.”

Turning in Hyungwon’s lap and weakly smacking his stomach, Kihyun glowered at the tall model. And without any venom in his voice, Kihyun pawed at his best friend, brows furrowed slightly, _“Do you want to fight, Chae?”_

“You can’t actually fight me, remember? You’re too short.”

“I don’t care,” Kihyun replied, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning. Hyungwon’s lips pulled up into a confident, shit-eating smirk and he peered down at the man lying in his lap.

“You kind of have to care,” Hyungwon reminded him, smirk proving itself to be painfully annoying. “You can’t actually reach my neck to strangle me, so what’s the point in threatening me?”

Kihyun smacked him again, and this time, Hyungwon actually winced at the impact. The older man’s eyes flashed and he raised an eyebrow at Hyungwon, tone dangerous, “You think I won’t break your legs?”

The model had to laugh at the remark: the corners of his eyes crinkled as laughter fell from his lips, and he nearly fell backwards onto his bed. There was something entirely _too_ amusing about how serious Kihyun was, when he was stressed and being teased. But, Hyungwon knew his limits—he really did need to help the older man out, somehow.

“Alright,” Hyungwon said, his long fingers running through Kihyun’s hair affectionately, again. “Enough with the hostility—tell me what’s going on with you. What’s happening? What did you do?”

Kihyun whimpered, squeezing the plush toy in his arms, “Hyungwon-ah,” he started.

_“Yes?”_

“My job is slowly killing me,” Kihyun breathed, “What do I do? Help me.”

“Quit?” Hyungwon suggested, arching his brow. Kihyun whined at him, again. It was rare for the older man to act so childish, and in any other circumstance, it might have been a little bit amusing.

“I can’t quit, you idiot!” Kihyun told him, “I can’t let Hoseok host the show by himself, that’s not fair to him. We’ve been doing this together for like, a year and a half, now!”

Hyungwon sighed, making a face. “You just say that is your job killing you and you’re clearly stressing over it. You asked for my help, and I gave you advice. Why can’t you quit? What the hell?”

“Hyungwon, I’m the host of a dating show! It’s not the job itself that’s killing me, my job is easy!” he said, exasperated. “But, the problem is that I’m supposed to get people to fall in love with awesome matchmaking skills, not develop a painful crush on my co-host!”

Kihyun’s words were followed by an almost awkwardly long silence. Kihyun seemed to shift uncomfortably under the younger man’s gaze, perhaps because it was the first time he’d admitted his crush aloud—and somehow, it always just seemed to feel a little more _real_ whenever it was mentioned aloud (and he hated it so much). Hyungwon blinked slowly at the older man, letting his words sink in for a moment.

(As the worst best friend in the world, Hyungwon hadn’t ever been quite sure of what Kihyun did for a living. He knew his best friend hosted a show of some sort, but he’d never found the time to tune into the show itself and figure out the content of the show. He had his answer, now, however.)

And then, his lips parted in a soft _‘ah!’_ as if everything suddenly made so much sense (and truthfully, it sort of did).

“ _That_ suddenly changes things,” the model mused.

Kihyun nodded intently, as if he’d proven something with his words—he really hadn’t, but Hyungwon was always good at figuring things out, and they matched pretty well because of that simple fact. The model’s brows arched as something clicked in his head. He quickly looked down at his best friend with a slight frown on his lips.

“Did you say his name was _Hoseok?”_ Hyungwon asked, “As in Shin Hoseok? The model slash actor dude?”

Kihyun looked up in a panic, “Do you know him? Do you know him personally?”

Hyungwon blinked slowly. _Did he know Shin Hoseok personally?_

He was scheduled to do a photo-shoot with the other model cum actor once before, and he’d turned it down. It was an offer from a company that he didn’t support, and it was Hyungwon’s personal policy to only become the face for the brands he actually used. And that had sparked a new relationship between the two models—Hoseok playfully knew him as _“the one guy who rejected me”_ and he knew Hoseok as _“the guy who I rejected”_ , and they only spoke on occasions where they both attended the same red carpet events. But, since Hoseok had shifted his gears more towards acting, they hadn’t seen one another very often.

But, he knew Kihyun. And if Kihyun knew that he knew Shin Hoseok personally, then he’d never be able to tell Hyungwon anything more about his crush—not because he didn’t trust Hyungwon, but simply in fear that it would somehow ruin a friendship, or something _simply terrible_.

“Nope,” Hyungwon replied, decidedly. “Just watched a couple of his dramas, before.” It wasn’t completely a lie—he did tune into the late night broadcasts of the actor’s dramas, on nights that he couldn’t fall asleep.

“Oh,” Kihyun said, taking a moment to pause and consider telling Hyungwon more about his silly crush. The brunet sighed, squishing his own cheek against Hyungwon’s thigh and exhaled again, dramatically. “What do I do, Hyungwon? I don’t even know if he likes men, or not!”

Hyungwon’s fingers halted in their movement through Kihyun’s dark locks and he arched an eyebrow.

“... then, ask him?”

“I can’t do that!” Kihyun shot up, sitting up straight and nearly smacking his forehead with Hyungwon’s from the sudden motion, which didn’t give his best friend the chance to move away.

“What’s so hard about asking someone _‘hey, I was wondering, do you like men?’_ , Kihyun?”

“That’ll expose me! How do you just ask someone if they like men, without completely exposing yourself?”

“... literally go _‘hey, do you like men? I’m asking for a friend’_ ,” Hyungwon said.

Kihyun smacked the back of his head.

“I can’t believe how useless you are!”

 

 

 

Several days later, he was back on the filming set and waiting for the staff and crew to get their shit together, before he could take a seat on the stage. His microphone was being pinned to him by one of the staff members, whom he could never remember the name of, and he stood awkwardly as she worked her slender fingers to pin the small fluff to the collar of his button down.

“Did you have a chance to look at the script?” she asked him, fastening the microphone with a safety pin. Kihyun shook his head in response, trying not to move too much and make her accidentally stab her finger with the pin. “The director left a copy of the rough script in the back, next to the spare cameras, would you like to have a look at it before the filming?”

“Is there something different, today?” he furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity. She often tried to make conversation but she never asked if he actually read the script before.

She smiled, “We’re advertising Hoseok’s new drama, so you’ll need to add a couple lines in, and that’s all. It helps if you watched the first episode, which aired last night, but the script tells you what happened and what you need to say.”

“We’re always advertising for him,” Kihyun huffed. They’d been doing it since the show got bigger, in early November of last year. Hoseok had been getting love calls from directors through the hosting, and the staff of _Shall We Date?_ were surprisingly always up to date with all of his casted roles. Kihyun always needed reminders, but he found himself selling his co-host well—or at least, that’s what the online comments said. ”I’m not a marketer.”

The girl laughed, “You always say that.”

Kihyun managed a smile at her laughter. The more logical part of his mind insisted that he should go and give the script a quick overview. He’d look better on camera, if it actually seemed like he’d watched the older man’s drama.

“What time is it?” he asked. She dropped her hands, glancing at her watch and he finally got a glimpse of her name tag— _Dawon_. She flashed the analog screen of her watch at him with a smile.

“Fifteen minutes until the filming starts,” she replied. “You have enough time, if you really want to look at it.”

“Thank you,” he told her when she ran off to attend to the other staff members. They’d be moving the live audience into the studio, soon.

Kihyun made his way into the back room, careful to not mess up his microphone. Rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, Kihyun picked up the script which was laying on the countertop and flipped it open with quick eyes scanning through the pages. He leaned against the counter as he read.

Kihyun didn’t notice the footsteps coming from behind him, and he visibly jumped, dropping the sheets of paper when a pair of hands placed themselves on his shoulders. The sheets scattered all over the floor and Kihyun groaned, bending down to pick them up with an annoyed roll of his eyes (though he couldn’t find himself to be truly angry, because there was only one person in the entire studio to dare to bother him, like this).

“Nice bum you got there,” Hoseok told him, grinning cheekily and crossing his arms over his chest, before leaning against the makeshift wall in the studio. Despite being perfectly aware of Hoseok’s presence, Kihyun flushed, immediately straightening up with his hands falling to cover his behind. Hoseok laughed at him.

“You’re so funny,” he replied, scowling. Hoseok’s smile didn’t dim.

“You love it, right?” he chimed in response. He held out a coffee cup with a smile. “For you. I asked the crew what kind of coffee you drink; dropped by the café and got you something nice.”

Kihyun eyed the cup suspiciously, carefully placing the script down on the counter. “Why are you being so nice to me, today?”

“I’m always nice to you!” Hoseok insisted. Kihyun couldn’t say that he wasn’t always nice to him, because Hoseok really was always the sweetest. The only problem was Kihyun’s little crush that insisted every little thing Hoseok did was  _rude and uncalled for._ That was his problem, though.

“No,” Kihyun replied, shaking his head. “You’re always teasing me.”

Hoseok laughed, “Your reactions are cute. Is it a crime to think you’re cute?” Kihyun stared at him. He raised the cup of coffee again with an arch of his brow, “Peace offering?”

There was a silence between them, before Kihyun finally reached out to accept the drink. Their fingers brushed and Kihyun pretended not to feel the spark when their hands touched.

“Thank you,” he said. Hoseok smiled at him.

“No problem.”

Suddenly, a burst of courage surged through him. Clearing his throat, Kihyun opened his mouth, “Actually, hyung, I have something to say to you—”

 _“Kihyun, Hoseok! We’re starting in three!”_ the director’s voice called out.

Kihyun deflated, placing the coffee cup down on the counter with a sigh. Hoseok pat his shoulder with an understanding smile.

“Oh, you can tell me, later,” he assured him, before dashing off to get his microphone fixed onto his clothing. The staff were probably looking for him.

Kihyun stared at his retreating figure, before sighing: _but, I won’t have the guts to say it, later._

 

“And just before I could do anything,” Kihyun explained, exasperated over the phone to his roommate. “The directors just cut me off and told me that it was time to get on the stage and start the filming!”

Minhyuk, who was on the other end and sounded a little preoccupied with whatever he was doing, hummed. “Were you seriously just going to confess to him without being sure that you’d have a chance? I mean, I really don’t want you to be confessing to someone who’ll just shut you down, because a heartbroken Yoo Kihyun is something I never want to see in my life.”

(There was some sort of relief knowing that at least one of his best friends didn’t completely live to see him suffer.)

“I don’t know! Isn’t that what you did?” Kihyun asked. Minhyuk chuckled, clicking his tongue—Kihyun could see the older man shaking his head, even though he was an entire ocean away.

“That’s definitely _not_ what I did,” Minhyuk replied, amusement dripping from his tone. And if Kihyun could, he’d strangle Minhyuk at the same time as he whimpered and begged for his help. “I, at the very least, knew that Jooheon liked men, because he was Changkyun’s ex-boyfriend, you know? And as for the whole confessing thing... Changkyun did that for me, too. He just broadcast my feelings on the night radio, when we were hosting together.”

“Why can’t I have someone like Changkyun in my life?” Kihyun sighed. Minhyuk laughed from the other end of the line.

“You know, he’s _my_ co-worker, but he’s your friend too. He’s friends with almost everyone on the planet,” Minhyuk said, “I’m sure he has some way of hooking you up with your hopeless crush.”

“Of course he knows people! His radio show is literally a night time therapy session!”

“It’s _actually_ just calming people down and helping them sleep, and talking to them, when they call in.”

“Did I ask for details?”

“No, you were just wrong.”

_“Minhyuk!”_

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Minhyuk replied, “But, do you have any... moments where you could actually ask him about his preferences? It might be _a lot_ better than confessing your feelings to a straight dude. Even if you think he’s been flirting with you for the past year—some people just give off that _vibe._ ”

“I’m pretty sure straight guys don’t tell other men that they have nice asses,” Kihyun deadpanned. Minhyuk laughed.

“I don’t know,” he said. “They might. Neither of us would know, would we?”

Kihyun rolled his eyes, “Listen, when you get back from America, I’m going to greet you at the airport and punch you in the face.”

 _But, Minhyuk knew that meant that he was grateful for having the older man lighten his unneeded stress with his silly jokes._  That was always a perk of having Lee Minhyuk around.

 

 

 

“Good afternoon, Kihyun,” Hoseok called, sliding into the dressing room next to Kihyun, with a cheeky grin on his lips. Kihyun’s heart jumped in his chest, the presence of the older man threatening to make his cheeks heat up—surely, this crush was getting a little out of hand. He insistently mentally blamed it on the fact that Hoseok frightened him (regardless of the fact that he’d seen the older man headed in his direction, through the mirror, from a thousand miles away). The blond raised an eyebrow at the hand over Kihyun’s chest and his lips tugged into an amused grin, leaning a little closer with mischief twinkling in his eyes, “Did I scare you?”

And Kihyun could swear, _if this wasn’t flirting, then he was an absolute idiot._

They’d just finished the recording for the day. The couple that they’d managed to set up together were cute, and it made Kihyun smile to himself. Usually, on these kinds of days, Hoseok intruded the dressing room that Kihyun stayed in to converse about the couple—say things that they weren’t allowed to say in front of the camera. It was usually praise—other times, they’d make playful bets about if the couple would last or not.

But, something about today just seemed a little different.

“No shit,” Kihyun replied, shooting the older man a glare. Hoseok responded with a bright smile, straightening up with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Sorry,” he said, though he sounded anything but truly apologetic. Kihyun knew better than to think he really was, though—this was the same man who said that he teased him because his reactions were cute (so, what was stopping him from thinking this was cute, too?), “Should I declare my presence every time I enter a room? Like, _‘Kihyunnie, hello! I’m here!’_ , or maybe without the nickname?”

“Without the nickname,” Kihyun promptly answered. Hoseok’s lips immediately curled into that amused grin, again. And then glancing at him, Kihyun narrowed his eyes (and the smile dropped from Hoseok’s face, as if he were trying to hide the fact that he was laughing). “But, that’s basically the same thing as randomly greeting me like this!”

Hoseok chuckled, _“Exactly.”_

“I hate you.”

“I think you love me.”

Flustered, Kihyun swatted at his co-host with a frown on his lips. “That’s ridiculous.”

Hoseok grinned, nudging him, “I’m just kidding. You’re taking it too seriously.”

“Why are you in here, anyway?” Kihyun asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _“Ah, right,”_ Hoseok snapped his fingers as if finally remembering the real reason he’d intruded Kihyun’s dressing room in the first place. Reaching into the pocket of his blazer, Hoseok pursed his lips before pulling out a pair of tickets. “I have a proposal.”

From where he was standing in front of the mirror, Kihyun placed his hands on the counter, resting his weight in his palms and he pursed his lips. “A proposal?”

They’d been hosting together for over a year, but to Kihyun, it always seemed like Hoseok had everything about him figured out, while he hadn’t the slightest idea of what was going on in the older man’s mind. Perhaps, it was because he tended to over-think everything that was related to Shin Hoseok—simply, because it was Hoseok. They were supposed to have a perfectly normal professional relationship, but clearly, Kihyun couldn’t help but feel fidgety around Hoseok—even though, once upon a time, they were fine around one another.

Once upon a time, every single thing Shin Hoseok did couldn’t bother him in the slightest—it was all something he could brush off without a problem. But, now, there was some greater power that he couldn’t control that made him blush at the mere mention of the older man’s name. He didn’t know if he missed the way they used to be, but it was certain that he hated the way that he never knew what was on Hoseok’s mind. Minhyuk had been the one to tell him that it might have been love— _but, he’d been the one who was foolish enough to think too deeply about it._

(And to some degree, he couldn’t tell if he was compromising their professional relationship with his silly feelings.)

“Yeah,” Hoseok replied, grinning and waving the tickets in the air. “I have some two tickets to the Actors’ Gala. I want you to come with me.”

Kihyun stared at him. “Sorry, what’s the proposal?”

Hoseok chuckled, “It’s that I want you to come with me to the event.”

“But, I’m not...”

“An actor?” Hoseok arched an eyebrow. “You were. It might have been a really long time ago, but you were. Regardless, it’s a plus-one invitation—I can’t go without a partner, but I can pick anyone I want to go with me.”

For a moment, Kihyun was silent.

For the amount of time they’d known one another, it shouldn’t have been very surprising that Hoseok knew of how Kihyun rose to fame, but most of the public completely dismissed the fact that Kihyun had been famous as a child. He’d grown up to do something a little different, so he easily accepted the way the public disregarded his past for the sake of what he chose to do instead. Yet, there was a strange feeling in his chest which bloomed upon realizing that Hoseok acknowledged the roots of his rise to fame—maybe because Shin Hoseok was an A-class actor.

(But, perhaps, Hoseok simply understood, because he’d been someone who rose to fame alike to Kihyun, before shifting gears to something else. He’d been a model before he chose to take on acting—perhaps, they were just a lot more similar than Kihyun liked to think.)

“Why me?” he asked, quietly. Hoseok grinned, holding the ticket out for him to take.

“I want to go with you,” he said, simply.

(And strangely, a part of Kihyun’s mind couldn’t help but think: _is that all?_ )

“I don’t know,” Kihyun told him, frowning a little. “Me? I don’t think I really fit in with the crowd.”

Hoseok shook his head, “You used to be an actor, no matter how long ago it was, so you’d know how to fit in with the crowd. Plus, we’ve been partners for a whole year and a half, and we haven’t gone anywhere together—not even the year-end award shows, so why not?”

Kihyun remained silent, looking at the ticket. On any other occasion, he’d love to go anywhere with Hoseok. Truly, deeply, he would. But, this was an invitation to step back into a world he’d left—he was still a celebrity, but thinking about it: this wasn’t somewhere he really belonged, anymore. _A simple television personality, who turned his back on acting, mingling with a group of A-class actors?_ The public would surely say nasty things about him.

(Perhaps, that was the real reason he was so hesitant about wanting to confess his feelings to Hoseok—because he simply thought that they didn’t belong together; that he didn’t deserve someone like Shin Hoseok.)

“C’mon,” the twenty-seven year old actor took a step forward and took Kihyun’s hand between his and tucked the ticket underneath his curled fingers. “Pretty please? Just for one night?”

And there was something in the way that Hoseok’s eyes seemed to shine that made Kihyun instinctively nod, without even realizing that he was doing it. Immediately, the actor’s eyes brightened, and Kihyun suddenly realized what he was getting himself into—but, before he could take it back, Hoseok was smiling so brightly (and he would _hate himself_ if he wiped that pretty smile off of Hoseok’s lips).

“Thanks, I guess,” he mumbled. Hoseok beamed.

There was a short moment, where they hadn’t the slightest clue of what they were doing—simply stood there and looked into one another’s eyes. Kihyun was the first to find himself flustered, and he looked away, clearing his throat and gazing into the large mirror of the dressing room. His cheeks were flushed a light pink colour, and he hoped (with everything he had) that it wasn’t too obvious. _That’d be terribly embarrassing._

“Oh, and Kihyun?” Hoseok called. Kihyun looked up at him. “What was it that you wanted to tell me, last time? Before we got interrupted by the director?”

Immediately, Kihyun’s mind reminded him of the moment that he’d thought of blindly confessing his feelings to Hoseok, and then to what Minhyuk had told him (then, to what Hyungwon had suggested). Laughing nervously, Kihyun shook his head, shoving the ticket into his pocket and flashing a smile.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I’ll tell you next time.”

Hoseok arched an eyebrow, as if he didn’t believe him (but, Kihyun hoped that he wouldn’t push him to say anything, because he certainly wouldn’t know what to do). He found his relief when Hoseok flashed a small smile.

“Promise?”

“Of course,” he said.

 

 

 

Consulting Hyungwon about what to wear without actually telling him where he was going was the hardest part of accepting the invitation to the gala with Hoseok. The younger man was always insistent that he needed to know where his best friend was for the sake of his safety—Hyungwon would never admit it aloud, but he was overprotective of the older man (that’s what best friends were for, probably).

If it were just a normal date, he might have just raided Minhyuk’s closet, but considering the fact that his roommate was half a world away from him, he decided that Hyungwon was really his only choice. _The explaining part was the only difficult part, though, right?_

“You’re going where?” Hyungwon furrowed his brows, hands halting in where they were rummaging through his closet to find something suitable for the older man to wear. Kihyun no longer kept a great expanse of formal wear, because it was rare for him to attend anything aside from the year-end award ceremonies.

“Something like a banquet,” he replied. Hyungwon arched an eyebrow. Exasperated, Kihyun sighed, “Fine. I’m Hoseok’s plus-one for the Actors’ Gala, and I have nothing to wear.”

“So, you need a suit?” Hyungwon pressed, his eyes glimmering with satisfaction at Kihyun’s explanation. Kihyun nodded. Hyungwon turned away from him, clicking his tongue, “And you need to look hot, I guess.”

_“No, I just—”_

“You just need to shut up and let me do my thing.”

Kihyun frowned at his best friend—and he was sure that the model could see the expression on his face through the reflection in the mirror—but flopped onto his bed without another word. The tall model opened another closet door, frowning at the selection before him.

After a moment of silence, Hyungwon spoke; “Everything I own is too big for you, Kihyun.”

“What do I do?” he asked, looking up at his best friend with obvious panic in his eyes.

Hyungwon clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and regarded Kihyun’s form for a moment—a long, silent moment. And then in the next second, he was heading over to the bed—and as an instinct, Kihyun rolled away as if Hyungwon was going to hit him.

At the exaggerated reaction, Hyungwon rolled his eyes and picked his phone up from where it had been thrown onto his bed. He held the device up to his ear, and before Kihyun could complain (“Who are you calling? You’re supposed to help me, not abandon me like this for the phone!”), the tall model had already dialed someone up.

“Hello? It’s me.” Hyungwon said into the phone. “Do you have a suit that you could just give up?”

 _“Excuse me?”_ Kihyun could hear the disbelief from the man on the other line, and the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t put a name to the voice, immediately.

“I need one of your expensive ass suits, but I can’t guarantee it’ll come back to you in one piece,” Hyungwon clarified. Kihyun stared at him in disbelief, and Hyungwon waved his hand as if he knew exactly what he was doing. He couldn’t hear the response, but Hyungwon was suddenly laughing, “Changkyun, it’s not for me. It’s for Kihyun, y’know? Minhyuk’s roommate?”

The response was obviously hesitant, and Hyungwon sighed. He looked to where Kihyun was laying down on the bed, before turning on his heel and leaving him alone inside the apartment. Curling into a hopeless ball, Kihyun simply could only hope that Hyungwon would come back with good news. The banquet was in less than three hours, and he certainly was planning everything a little too late.

An uncomfortable five minutes later had Kihyun nervously rolling around on his best friend’s bed. _What would he do if Changkyun said no?_ (Though, the more reasonable part of his mind knew that Changkyun didn’t have the heart to say no, if Hyungwon explained the reason for borrowing his clothing well.) None of the shops would be open, right now—and they didn’t have the talent to modify any of Hyungwon’s clothing in order to fit Kihyun—and God forbid he wear the suit that he wore to just last year’s year-end award shows.

His nerves calmed themselves when his best friend stepped back into the apartment, however. When Hyungwon stepped back into the apartment, he flashed the older man a grin.

“Get up. We’re going to Changkyun’s place.”

 

 

 

Leaving Changkyun’s apartment had Kihyun ready for the banquet. Apparently, none of them had been quite aware of how passionate Im Changkyun was about styling and fashion. And his passion for the need to smear eye shadow all over Kihyun’s lids and _insist_ on trying to put eyeliner on him. He’d learned things from his friends, he said, and Kihyun had nothing to lose, and the guts to entrust his face to the younger man.

Regardless of the rocky path to the current moment he stood awkwardly in front of the banquet hall with his ticket in his hands, he was finally there—and, according to both Hyungwon and Changkyun, he looked good. And that was enough for him. He just hoped that maybe, with a slight of luck, Hoseok would think so too. But, he stood amidst a crowd lining up at the red carpet laid on the ground, and he hadn’t the slightest idea of who he should be speaking to. They were all celebrities, but he simply didn’t know where he stood between them.

And there was a silent regret filling his gut that told him he shouldn’t have rejected Hoseok’s offer to pick him up. It would have been so much less awkward if he just came to the banquet with Hoseok: _no one to wait for, no one to question him, because he was with Hoseok._

“Are you too scared to go in?” came a voice from behind him. Kihyun visibly jumped at the sound, and Hoseok’s familiar laughter filled his ears.

With cheeks flushed, though hidden by the dim light, Kihyun turned to look at the other man, lips tugged into a frown.

“What are you talking about?” he said, pretending to not have the slightest clue. Hoseok grinned at the innocent act, chuckling to himself—his laughter rumbled in Kihyun’s ears, and he blamed it on their proximity (it certainly wasn’t because all of his senses filled themselves with Shin Hoseok, whenever the older man was around).

“Were you waiting for me?” Hoseok teased, leaning in to take a closer look at his face.

“Of course I was,” he replied, huffing and turning his head away from Hoseok, brows furrowed. “I’m your plus-one, I can’t exactly go in without you, can I?”

Hoseok looked a little taken aback by the response, but it was quickly covered up with a smile. The blond ran his fingers through his styled locks, and for the first time that night, Kihyun took a good look at the actor. His hair was pushed back, out of his eyes, and his makeup was darker than Kihyun was used to seeing whenever they hosted the dating show together—truthfully, it was somehow breathtaking. And he was sure that anyone with eyes could see that: it definitely wasn’t just his rose-coloured lenses.

The blond took a step backwards and bowed slightly in front of him, as if he was playing the role of a prince to a princess—Kihyun could hardly believe that he didn’t feel embarrassed doing it in front of all the other actors (especially to someone like him)—and flashed a smile, “Sorry to keep you waiting, then. Shall we go?”

(And Kihyun swore that the sudden pounding sound of his heart hammering against his chest didn’t exist, when he reached out and took Hoseok’s hand.)

 

 

 

Inside the venue, it was a little less awkward. Hoseok found himself mingling with the artists, while Kihyun sat at their assigned table, nursing a glass of wine in his hands. Few people recognized him and greeted him with gentle smiles, and Kihyun was surprised with how kind they were—he’d been expecting something much more hostile from the other celebrities, because he didn’t necessarily belong with them. But, he supposed that it might have just been the effect of the fact that he was there with Hoseok, even though Hoseok wasn’t by his side.

But, when they left him alone to mingle with one another on the dance floor, talking about their upcoming dramas and movies—things that Kihyun couldn’t relate to, anymore—he found himself sitting at the table and watching Hoseok from a distance, with fond eyes. In a room full of people, for some reason, all he could really see was Hoseok.

And for a split second, he swore that he saw the traces of a smile on Hoseok’s lips, when he turned to glance at where Kihyun was seated at their table. He motioned for the younger man to come over, but Kihyun quietly declined with a smile on his lips and a shake of his head. He wouldn’t know what to do, if he were to go over to Hoseok and speak to the older man’s friends. No matter how much Hoseok insisted it, he really didn’t fit in perfectly with this crowd—he’d gone to the banquet for the sole purpose of Hoseok.

Disappointment seemed to flash in the older man’s eyes—and Kihyun hoped that it was just his imagination that filled in the space between them, which made it seem like it. Kihyun tore his eyes away from Hoseok and rested his chin in his palm, elbow against the table. He took a sip of the wine in his hands, and he took the time to reflect on the feelings which seemed to rise in his chest whenever he looked to the blond actor.

As a celebrity—someone who was always on television—he never really had the time to invest himself into relationships. Even when he’d met people who were interested in him, he declined their advances with an apology and the reasoning that he had to focus on his career, because it was (unfortunately for them) the one thing that mattered the most to him. _So, why did Hoseok make him feel differently from the things he’d always told himself?_

Honestly, he hadn’t the slightest clue as to why Hoseok was different from everyone else, but there was just _something_ unique about the other man that made him question everything he’d believed in from the start. Perhaps, it was the sheer amount of time that they spent with one another—long enough to know one another, but short enough to leave him wanting more time with him.

The headache that followed his thoughts was sudden, and Kihyun pressed his fingers to the temples of his head with a frown. The music hadn’t been very loud, but suddenly, it sounded like it was screaming into his ears. Perhaps, it’d been the alcohol that seemed to enhance all of his senses.

(Or maybe it was just his mind trying to tell him to stop thinking about Hoseok.)

Stumbling out of his seat, Kihyun left his glass of wine on the table and turned his head to look to where the washroom was. Maybe, getting some time alone would be good for him; some time away from the music and the lights—somewhere brighter and somewhere that he could take a moment to have his mind stray from where it was so focused on Hoseok’s gorgeous existence.

And, he was halfway across the room, when he felt a hand catch his wrist. The brunet turned his head to look at the person who’d stopped him, only to have his eyes meet with Hoseok’s worried eyes.

“Where are you going?” the older man asked, sounding worried.

Kihyun found himself surprised with the way that Hoseok reacted. _What was he so concerned for?_

“I’m just going to the washroom,” he said, quietly. And the blond had the decency to look a little embarrassed at his over-reaction. Clearing his throat, Hoseok nodded with a small smile on his lips (the embarrassment still visible in the way his eyes seemed to shine under the lights).

“Oh,” he said. “I thought you were leaving.”

“I’m not leaving. Why are you so concerned?” Kihyun asked, turning to continue head in the direction of the washroom. Hoseok followed him.

The light cast over him, a little too brightly, when he pushed the door to the washroom open. Hoseok continued to follow him when he stepped into the washroom.

“Are you okay?” came the question, after a moment of silence. Kihyun turned to look at Hoseok with a small smile.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I’m fine. I just suddenly felt like I was having a headache.”

An almost uncharacteristic worry washed over Hoseok’s expression, and Kihyun found himself almost taken aback from the speed at which Hoseok rushed to place a hand over his forehead. Kihyun furrowed his brows.

“What are you doing?” he asked, quietly. “You can’t determine if someone has a headache like that. That’s for a checking if someone has a cold, you idiot.”

“I just—” Hoseok started. And it’s the first time that Kihyun had seen Hoseok so flustered—so much like he’d lost all composure (and a small part of his mind hoped that it was simply because of him). “I was worried. I didn’t know what to do, so I just... followed my instincts. Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?” Kihyun managed a quiet laugh.

“I’m being selfish,” Hoseok admitted. “I... I dragged you here against your will, and I didn’t want you to leave. So, I followed you, because I thought you were going to leave, because you felt uncomfortable here... and I didn’t want you to leave and I’m being selfish so I’m sorry.”

From their close proximity, Kihyun could see the way Hoseok’s cheeks were beginning to dot with colour, how his forehead glistened with sweat (from the overwhelming nerves that had him so wrapped around them).

“You didn’t _force_ me to come here,” Kihyun told him with a frown on his lips. Hoseok shook his head.

“But, I did,” he said. “You didn’t want to come, but I asked until you said yes, and now I don’t want you to leave.”

And there was something else in the way that Hoseok looked at him, now—something that he’d never noticed in the older man’s eyes before. His mind reeled with assumptions and he wanted to hit himself for letting his mind wander, but for some strange reason, a hopeful part of him prayed that Hoseok’s eyes were glowing with affection and hope.

“I wanted to come,” Kihyun replied. “I wanted to come because you wanted me to. I’m not going to leave, Hoseok.”

That glimmer that Kihyun prayed was affection suddenly turned to doubt and Hoseok regarded him quietly, unsure of what to say. Finally, he took another step forward and murmured softly, “But, why? Why would me wanting you to come make you want to?”

The words caught him off guard and Kihyun froze, eyes wide. Suddenly, he was unsure of what _he_ was supposed to say in response— _was he supposed to tell Hoseok the truth? Avoid answering the questioning?_ He panicked and Hoseok took another step closer to him. He could feel his cheeks heating up and the pounding of his heart in his chest, when the blond’s hand reached for his face. Kihyun’s eyes widened when they met with Hoseok’s.

“... You like me, right?” Hoseok asked him, eyes sincere, with his fingers gently tilting Kihyun’s jaw upwards. The older man’s eyes searched Kihyun’s, and he couldn’t help but swallow.

His throat was dry and he could feel the way his nerves shook his entire mind at the simple inquiry. There was a flash in Hoseok’s eyes, somewhere buried beneath the sincerity but visible, that seemed like he’d realized that he had Kihyun trapped exactly where he wanted him. The blond pressed onto it.

“That time, you wanted to say that you liked me, right?” Hoseok pressed, his eyes seemingly shaking with insecurity. And Kihyun’s heart swelled with affection at the way that Hoseok suddenly seemed so small—so frightened.

So, with his heart bare of everything he’d learned how to protect it with, Kihyun’s voice shook as he answered.

_“... What if I do? What if it was?”_

Hoseok swallowed visibly, eyes never leaving Kihyun’s. He took a nervous breath, and his voice dropped to barely a whisper. “Then... then, right now, I’d kiss you.”

Kihyun’s heart hammered in his ears and his body tensed, though his eyes fluttered shut. He took a breath, gathering all of the nerves he had and throwing all caution to the wind. His hands came to grip into the hem of Hoseok’s suit jacket—his voice so, _so_ soft.

_“Then, do it.”_

 

“So, you’re saying that you guys made out in the washroom at a luxurious banquet and you ruined Changkyun’s extremely expensive suit, because you were too much of an idiot to actually have gotten a suit _prior_ to the event, even though Hoseok invited you to the banquet with him over three weeks before the actual event? And you’re saying that Changkyun didn’t get mad at you at all, because he was glad that you finally got together with that dude you’ve been pining over for like, a year?”

His roommate followed him to the door, when Kihyun walked down the hall of their apartment to leave. He’d just gotten home from the airport—Kihyun had been kind enough to pick him up from the airport and drop him off at their apartment, just before he had to go to work.

During the car ride to their apartment, though, Kihyun told Minhyuk all about his new boyfriend and it was an understatement to say that Minhyuk was just _in disbelief_.

“You’re so noisy, Minhyuk,” Kihyun pulled his jacket over his shoulders, rolling his eyes at his roommate. “Isn’t that what I just said?”

Before Minhyuk could actually respond to him, though, Kihyun’s phone started ringing. The brunet glanced down at the device, eyes lighting up at the name on the screen (filled with a disgusting amount of hearts). He ignored the other man in the room and held the device up to his ear.

 _“Yes, baby?”_ Kihyun answered the phone, voice gentle and sweet. Behind him, Minhyuk’s expression twisted into one of disdain, as his roommate reached for the doorknob with a sugary hum. “Yes, I’m headed to the studio, right now. _Mhmm_ , I miss you too. I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

And then, hanging up, Kihyun waved to his roommate with a cheesy grin.

“I’ll talk to you later, I have to head to work,” he said, tone clearly overwhelmed with excitement.

Minhyuk could hardly believe that this was the same man he’d been roommates with before he left South Korea for America, just a month and a half ago.

_“Have fun unpacking!”_

Minhyuk stared down at his feet, where their cat attempted to chase after Kihyun’s retreating figure. He stopped her from running out of the apartment by quickly shutting the door, but stood facing the door with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

“What the fuck,” he murmured.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, find me on twitter @kkyunjus! ♡


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